As the quintessential independent American animator, George Griffin produces films which defy categorization. Part of what makes viewing a cross-section of Griffin films intriguing is the variety of approaches he takes to his subjects, rarely repeating a theme or style. In some of his earlier works, such as Head and Lineage, Griffin explores the depths and boundaries of his art, mixing animation with live action, flipbooks and trick photography. During the same period, however, he also produced strictly narrative films, such as the whimsically satirical The Club.

The Club, (1975)

Later, during the 1980s, Griffin ' s style changed; his films became less confrontational and subversive in their relationship to the audience, and more traditionally " cartoony and entertaining. " Nonetheless, he continued to examine his artistic heritage in works like Flying Fur, which entangles a cast of crazy animal characters in a frantic Tom and Jerry soundtrack. He also produced more narrative projects, such as It ' s an O.K. Life, done for PBS, and tackled intensely personal emotions in Thicket.

While busy with freelance commercial projects in the late 80s and early 90s, Griffin also made playful films such as Ko-Ko, which synchronizes a dancing collage of magazine art with a Charlie Parker recording, and the sarcastic New Fangled, a humbling caricature of advertising creativity.

Most recently, Griffin has returned to the traditional narrative in A Little Routine, which provides a charming and intimate glimpse into father/daughter bedtime routines. (via)

Rather than invoking a recurring style, all of these distinct films are linked instead by their personal expression of the artist ' s maturation. Griffin ' s body of work represents what it means to be an independent animator; his free experimentation with style and technique defines an art which is constantly in process and an artist who embraces his own evolution.